During Gasparilla Week . . .

February 2, 1986

Activities taking place during Gasparilla Week include:

The Ninth Annual Gasparilla Distance Classic, Feb. 8. Runner's World magazine calls this ''the most competitive, prestigious race of the winter . . . a fairly flat, extremely fast 15K.'' Some of the top runners in the world will be competing. The magazine reports that ''seven of the top 10 fastest men's times and the two fastest women's marks have been run at Gasparilla.'' The 15K race starts at 8:15 a.m.; a 5K race starts at 10:15 a.m. Last year's race attracted about 10,000 spectators, and the crowd expected to swell to 12,000 this year (if the weather's good).

The Gasparilla Children's Parade will begin at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 on the Franklin Street Mall. The hourlong parade will include more than 2,000 children on floats made by children. Last year, 15,000 spectators turned out. The Gasparilla Invasion and Parade, Feb. 10. The invasion usually starts around 11 a.m. This year the pirate ship Jose Gaspar will dock at Harbour Island, at the southern part of Franklin Street at the foot of downtown Tampa. A good spot to watch the invasion is along Channel Drive on Davis Islands, the northern portion of Bayshore Boulevard or Harbour Island. The parade begins at approximately 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Rome Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard and winds for 2 1/2 miles down Bayshore to downtown. It should end at about 3:30 p.m. An estimated 250,000 people usually attend.

Pirate Fest, a free party on the Franklin Street mall in downtown Tampa, will run from 4 to 9 p.m. Feb. 10. Sponsored by Pepsi-Cola and the city of Tampa, all proceeds from concessions will go to the United Way. Country, jazz and pop music will be featured on three stages along the mall. A crowd of 50,000 to 60,000 is expected.

Ybor City Fiesta will run from noon to 7 p.m. Feb. 15 along 7th Avenue in Tampa's Latin Quarter. A food court featuring ethnic cuisine will be set up at the new city park on 8th Avenue. Music will be featured along 7th Avenue. Free Spanish bean soup, Cuban coffee and Cuban toast will be served from noon to 2 p.m. on 7th Avenue. At 7 p.m., the Ybor City Illuminated Night Parade will begin and run about two hours.

The Artists and Writers Ball will begin at 9 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Cuban Club (10th Avenue and 14th Street) in Ybor City. Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Live bands will play until about 3 a.m. on all three floors of the building.